Electric gas-lsghting apparatus



(No Model.)

J. P. TIRRELL. Electric Gas Lighting Apparatus.

No. 230,589. Patented July 27,1880

N.PE|ERS, PHD'lO-LITNOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNiTEn STATES PATENT @rrrca.

JACOB P. TIRRELL, OF SOMERVILLE, ASSIGNOR T GEORGE F. PINKHAM, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRlC GAS-LIGHTENG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,589, dated July 27, 1880.

Application filed May 22, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB P. TIRRELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massach usetrs, have in vented certain Improvements in Electric Gas-Lighting Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this speci- 1o fication, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved electric gas-lighting apparatus, the cover or outer casing being removed. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, (enlarged) Fig. 3

1 is a vertical section through the center of the same. Fig. at is a horizontal section on the line 00 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sec tion on the line 0 3 0i" 2. Fig. (3 is a perspective view or the cam which operates the 20 circuit -breaker and switch. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the circuit-breaker and switch and its operating-cam. Fig.8 is a perspective "iew of the conical plngof the gas-valve. Fig. 9 is an elevation (on a reduced scale) of the cover or outer casin g of the apparatus.

My present invention relates to that class of apparatus in which two separate wires are employed, one for letting on and lighting and the.

other for shutting oft the gas, and has for its 0 object to provide a neat, simple, and compact apparatus which, on accountot' the small space which it occupies, is particularly adapted for use in chandeliers and brackets, as it is entirely concealed from view by the ordinary shade or globe placed over the burner.

My invention consists in the em ployment of a combined circuit-breaker and switch of peculiar construction, operated automatically by a cam connected with the rotary gas-valve, by 40 means of which the electric current is caused to pass alternately by separate wires to the electro-magnet for the purpose of letting on and simultaneously lighting the gas and shutting ed the same, the circuit being completed, as usual, by means of keys or pressure-buttons, which are operated alternately to let on and shut off the gas.

To enable others skilied in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to (No model.)

describe the manner in which it out.

In the said drawings, )1 represents the framework oi the apparatus, consisting of two disks, (0 I), united by atube, 0, which serves as a conduitt'or the gas to the burner (Z, projectingt'rom the upper disk, (t. \Vit-hin the bottom of the burner is fitted the vertical tapering or conical plug c of the gas-valve, which is made hollow and open at its upper end, and is provided with two narrow ports or slots, 12, placed opposite each other, which communicate with the interior of the plug, and are successively brought into line with a port, 14-, through which the gas passes from the pipe 0, so that a quarter-revolution of the plug will cause the gas to be let on or shut off, as required. To the bottom of this vertical plug 0 is secured a ratchet-wheel, B, which is arranged in a hori zontal position, as seen in Figs. L, 3, and 5, and is rotated to actuate the valve-plug c by means of a springpawl, f, secured to a lever, U, which is pivoted to the frame-work at g, and carries the armature ll. of an electromagnet, D, which is secured to the tube 0 and arranged between the disks to b, a spring, i, bearing on a rod, It, projecting from the lever U, serving to with draw the armature It from the magnet when the latter is demagnetizcd, and thus as the lever b is vibrated in opposite directions by the magnet and spring the gas-valve is rotated to let on or shut otl" the gas.

Z is the stationary or iixed electrode, which is mounted on an arm projecting from a divided metallic collar, m, embracing the burner near the tip, the ends of this collar being provided with outwardly-projecting lugs l5 16, through which passes the horizontal clampingscrew 17, which engages with a screw-thread in the lug 1b; and by means of this screw the collar is clamped tirmly to the burner to hold 0 the tixed electrode in its proper position, this collar also serving to confine tightly in place a sleeve, 1 of mica or other suitable insulating material, which is interposed between the collar on and the burner to insulate the iixed 5 electrode, which is connected, by means or" a wire, q, with the electro-magnet. The end of the wire q is confined in place by a nut, r,

I have carried 0 turned over the end of the screw 17, the wire being held between the nut and the lug 16, which arrangement facilitates its attachment or detachment. The collar thus serves as a means of attachment for the fixed electrode, and also as a clamp for securely holding in place the mica insnlatingsleeve this substance being specially adapted for the purpose on account of its capability of resisting the action of the heat to which it is subjected on account of its close proximity to the flame issuing from the tip of the burner.

The construction and arrangement of the collar, with its horizontal clamping-screw m, prevent the point of the screw from coming into contact with the mica sleeve 19, whereas if an ordinary collar were used having the usual set screw tapped through it the point of the screw would be liable to penetrate the mica and make a contact with the burner, which would destroy the insulation.

To a post, it, on one side of the burner is pivoted a lever, 26, which carries the movable electrode a, this lever, through the framework A and the gas-pipe, being connected with the battery.

The lower end of the lever a is slotted or bifurcated,a1'1d embraces a pin, 1), projecting from the lever C, so that when the armature is attracted to the magnet the lever u. is vibrated, so as to separate the electrodes la, thus breaking the electric circuit and causing the spring i to withdraw the armature from the magnet, when the lever a will be moved so as to again bring the electrodes into contact, an automatic circuit-breaker being thus provided, which will keep the lever 0 constantly vibrating until the circuit is broken through the wire leading to the electro-mag net, as will be hereinafter described; and thus as the lever a is vibrated the electrical contact between the electrodes la, is made and broken to produce the sparks to ignite the gas issuing from the orifice at the'ti p of the burner when the valve 6 is turned by the action of the ratchet-wheel and pawl, as above described.

The distance between the bifurcations at the lower end of the lever to is greater than the diameter of the pin I) embraced thereby, so as to allow of a lost motion, which enables the armature to have a more extended movement toward and from'the magnet, thus increasing the range of the lever G, which increases the size and intensity of the electric spark, and also accelerates the rotation of the ratchetwheel 13 and valve connected therewith.

The lever u is provided at its fulcrum with a spring-washer, 21, which insures the requisite friction at this point to retain the lever in place during the lost motion of the pin 1) in the slot at the bottom of the lever.

I will now proceed to describe the manner in which the electric current is caused to pass through the apparatus for the purpose of rotating the ratchet-wheel B to open the gasof the arm g.

valve and simultaneously ignite the gas and I close the valve to extinguish it at the required times. Y

b c are two separate wires, which can be connected with the same pole of the battery by pressing keys or buttons, (not shown,) as usual in apparatus of this description, these pressurelmttons being located in any convenient and accessible position within the house or apartment thercot' where the burner is located. The gas-valve being closed, the current, on the proper button being pressed, enters the apparatus by the wire I), through which it passes to a light curved spring, (1, secured to an insnlating-block, 15. The outer end of the spring (1 is at this time pressed by one of two projecting portions, 6, of a cam, G, (composed of hard rubberor other suitable non-comlucting material, and secured to the stem oi the plug 0 beneath the ratchet-wheel 13,) against a pin, f, projecting from the upper side of a springs-rm, g, the outer end of which is secured within the block E, and is in contact with a wire, 71,, connected with the elec tro-magnet D. The current now passes through the electro-magnet, and by the wire q to the electrodes 6 a, and thence by the frame-work A to the gas-pipe and back to the battery, thus completing the circuit. The ratchet'wheel is now rotated by the vibrations of the lever (J, which follow each otherin rapid succession, until the plug 0 has been turned a quarter of a revolution, which opens the gas-valve to its full extent, the gas escaping at the tip of the burner having been during the opening of the valve ignited by the sparks produced by the alternate separation and contact of the electrodes 6 c, as before described. The instant the plug 0 has completed a quarter-revolution the end of the spring d drops into one of the two spaces or notches ibetween the two projections c" of the ,cam, which breaks the contact between the end of the spring (1 and the pinf, one of two projections, k, on

the lower portion of the cam Gr being simultaneously brought into contact with another curved spring, 1, similar to d, and also secured to the insulating-block E, by which means the end of the spring l is pressed into contact with a pin, on, projecting from the lower side The circuit through the wire I) is thus automatically broken as soon as the gas-valve is opened to its full extent and the gas lighted, after which the operator removes his finger from the pressure button-or key of the wire I)".

It will be seen that the armature of the electro-magnet cannot be again set in motion when it is desired to extinguish the gas by a current passing through the wire I), on account of the circuit having been broken, as above described. The other wire, 0, is therefore employed, through which (on pressing its button) the current passes to the spring 1, and thence, by the pin m and arm g, to the wire h and electro-magnet, after which it takes the same course as previously described, causing the ratchet-wheel and plug eto be again rotated a quarter of a revolution, and extinguishin the gas as required.

On the completion of this movement the end of the spring Z drops into one of the two notches or spaces 1) between the two projections it of the cam G, which breaks the contact between the spring I and the pin m, thus automatically breaking the electric circuit through the wire 0, after which the operator releases the button or key belonging thereto. This latter movement of the cam G again causes one of its projections. c, to press the spring (1 into contact with the pin f, when the electro-magnet is again connected with the wire I), through which the electric current can be again passed when the gas is to be lighted; and it will thus be seen that when, by the rotation of the cam G, the circuitis broken through the wire I) the switch is operated so as to have the electro-magnet connected with the other wire, 0, and when the magnet is disconnected from the wire 0 it is at the same instant connected with the wire I), the wires 1/ a being thus used alternately, as above described, one to carry the current for opening the gas-Valve and the other the current for closing it.

The plug a, ratchet-wheel B, and cam G are supported and kept in place by a light spring, q, which is secured to the tube 0 and bears against the under side of the stem of the plug 0, below the cam.

The length of the spaces t p is the same as that of the projections 12 It, the upper projections, 6, being in line with the lower spaces, 1), and the upper spaces, i, being in line with the lower projections, k, as seen in Fig. 6.

The above-described combined circuit-bleaker and switch is simple. and not liable to get out of order, and occupies very little space, while the gas-valve is placed in close proximity with the orifice at the tip of the burner, so that the gas is enabled to issue therefrom almost as soon as the sparks are produced, thereby rendering the ignition of the gas more certain. Furthermore, the arrangement of the horizontal *atchet-wheel, the cam G, and circuit-breaker and switch opera-ted thereby is such as to greatly economize space and enable me to produce an exceedingly neat and compact apparatus,which is provided with a sh eetmetal cover or casing, H, Figs. 3 and 9,which serves to exclude dust and moisture.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electric gas-lightin g apparatus, the combination, with the valveplug 6 and its actuating mechanism, of the automatic switch and circuit-breaker, consisting, essentially, of the cam G, with its projections e k and spaces or notches i p, the springs d I, with their connecting-wires b c, and the arm 9, with its pins f m and connecting-wire h, whereby the electric current is caused to pass alternately,

by the wires b c, to the electro-magnet D, for the purpose of letting on and simultaneously lighting the gas and afterward extinguishing the same, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the valve-plug c and horizontal ratchet-wheel B, of the switchoperating cam G, arranged beneath and in line with the plug a, and connected therewith, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combinatiomwith the burner d, valveplug 0, horizontal ratchet-wheel B, operated by the pawl f, cam G, and switch operated thereby, and the connecting-wires l) c It q, of the fixed electrodel and the vibrating electrode a ,the latter attached to the lever 2513116 lower end of which embraces apin, 1), on the lever G, carrying the armature of the electro-magnet, all constructed and arranged to operate together substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the burner (Z and electromagnet D, of the vertical valve'plug 6, horizontal ratchetwheel B, cam G, and the switch operated thereby, arranged between the burner and the electro-magnet to economize space, substantially as described.

\Vitness my hand this 12th day of May, A. D. 1880.

JACOB P. TIRRELL. 

